How To Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween

Learn how to carve pumpkins with our guide from Halloween costumes. Be creative when thinking about what you want your pumpkin to look like! Let us teach you the proper way to carve pumpkins. Big or small, orange or white, pumpkins are the essential Halloween Decoration! Whether purchased from the market or pumpkin patch, grab the one that you like the best!! If it is perfectly round, oval, smooth or curved, make it the best it can be! Be sure the one that you choose does not have any cracks or broken stems because they tend to spoil sooner. Remember, your pumpkin has a short life once carved, so be sure to carve right before Halloween.

Carving tips:

Using a water-based marker, draw the design onto the pumpkin.

When getting ready to cut, use either a sharp edged knife or pumpkin carver. Remember also, cut away from yourself.

Cut the lid at an angle to prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin as the pumpkin shrinks.

Using a spoon, ice cream scooper or pumpkin scooper, remove the seeds and stringy flesh.

Carve the facial features near the center and work out. You may need to cut the larger sections in pieces instead of one large piece.

For detail work, use a potato peeler, x-acto knife or a pumpkin device to make curves and circles.

Remove the pieces gently by pushing them into or out of the pumpkin.

If you make an error removing the incorrect piece, use a toothpick to hold it back in.

Be sure that the holes are large enough to provide candle with enough ventilation.

For younger children, you may want to try permanent markers, tempera paint or stickers.

REMEMBER: MAKE THIS A CREATIVE, FAMILY PROJECT! USE THE SEEDS FOR ROASTING AND THE MEAT FOR PUMPKIN PIE!!